Lehighton Man Gets Jail In Fight With Policemen

The second defendant in a case involving a fight with three police officers was sentenced in Carbon County Court yesterday.

Kermit C. Strohl, 26, of 18A Court St., Lehighton, was sentenced by Judge John P. Lavelle for his role in the fight with Lehighton Patrolman Robert Bashore.

According to court records and testimony, Strohl was a passenger in a car operated by Karl A. Frable of Lehighton on Dec. 5. The car was involved in an accident with a vehicle driven by Weissport Police Chief Wayne Hunsicker.

Frable stopped his car suddenly, causing Hunsicker to hit him from behind.

Frable began to fight with Hunsicker, and Strohl went after Bashore. Bashore told Lavelle that Strohl came up to him from behind and grabbed him. The pair rolled around in the street until Strohl was subdued.

Franklin Township Patrolman William Wilson assisted Hunsicker.

According to Lavelle, a pre-sentence report on Strohl described him as a "full-blown alcoholic."

Lavelle sentenced him to four months to one year in the county prison on a charge of resisting arrest.

The sentence becomes effective June 8, and Strohl has until that time to find an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program that will accept him. If he does find a program, Lavelle said he will furlough Strohl on the first day of the sentence. Strohl will spend the remainder of his minimum sentence in prison if the drug program expires before the minimum sentence.

Strohl received credit for the 11 days he has already served in prison.

Frable was sentenced to 30 to 90 days in county prison on Wednesday for his part in the altercation. He also received 48 hours in prison for a drunken driving charge.

Others sentenced were:

- Robert A. Deritis, 30, of 968 N. Vine St., rear, Hazleton, two months to three years in county prison on a retail theft charge.

He had been arrested by Weatherly police following the theft of 10 cartons of cigarettes from the J & E Supermarket on Jan. 31.

A pre-sentence report showed the crime and other past retail thefts were related to a drug habit. Gordon Morton, the lawyer representing Deritis, agreed with the report.

"All of his acts are the acts of a drug addict," Morton said.

Morton told Lavelle that judges in other counties had put Deritis on probation for retail thefts, but Lavelle said Deritis needed a taste of jail.

- Brian Filer, 21, of 92 Fireline Road, Bowmanstown, five to 10 months in county prison on a theft charge. According to Mahoning Township Police Chief David Ebbert, Filer was at the police station at about 11 p.m. on Oct. 24 when he decided to take various items from a police car, including a code book, flashlight and field glasses.

It was noted that Filer was on probation on an arson charge when the theft occurred.

Lavelle said he will recommend that Filer undergoes an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program.

- Daniel J. Longo Jr., 22, of Apt. 406, Gypsy Hill Apartments, Lehighton, probation for one year on acharge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

State trooper Larry Fedor told Lavelle that he stopped a vehicle on Aug. 15 on Route 209 in Lehighton and found that Longo was in possession of several packs of hashish.

Lavelle told Longo that he cannot control an unprescribed drug and ordered him to render 20 hours of community service.

- Robert Kopack, 24, of 233 E. Ludlow St., Summit Hill, 48 hours to six months in county prison on a drunken driving charge.

He was operating an all-terrain vehicle in Summit Hill on Jan. 3 and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .12 percent after his vehicle collided with a police cruiser. A person is considered drunk in Pennsylvania with a .10 level.

Kopack attempted to avoid police before the collision with the police car. Lavelle fined him $100 on a charge of fleeing or eluding police, and $25 on a charge of driving an all-terrain vehicle on the road.

Kopack will also have to pay any part of the $1,071 worth of damage to the police car not covered by insurance. He was fined $300 and lost his driver's license for one year on the drunken driving charge.

- Robert F. O'Brien, 52, of 411D E. Kline Ave., Lansford, 90 to 180 days on a drunken driving charge, and one year to one day less than two years on a second drunken driving charge.

He was stopped by Summit Hill police on Oct. 7 and had a blood-alcohol content of .25 percent. He was stopped by Lansford police on Nov. 9 and refused a blood test.

O'Brien was fined $300 and lost his driver's license for one year on each of the counts.

- John G. Coxe, 27, of 221 Hudsondale St., Weatherly, probation for two years on a criminal mischief charge.

Coxe drove his 1980 Mazda Coupe through a Packer Township field owned by Henry D. Zellers of Weatherly R.1 on Oct. 29. Lavelle ordered Coxe to pay $1,013 toZellers, the amount of damage that Coxe caused to the field.

- Michael Tworkowsky, 25, of 113 Lehigh Ave., Palmerton, time served to six months in county prison on a drunken driving charge.

Tworkowsky was stopped in Palmerton on Dec. 9. Tworkowsky served 10 days in prison on the charge, and Lavelle said he would place Tworkowsky on parole for the balance of maximum sentence. Tworkowsky must follow the recommendations of a drug and alcohol clinic and must also attend meetings for alcoholics once a week until his maximum sentence expires.

- Robert M. Brazzo, 55, of Lake Drive, Lake Harmony, 48 hours to six months in county prison on a drunken driving charge. He was stopped in Nesquehoning on Jan. 1.